DVD Review: Cactus Flower (B-)

Cactus Flower (1969)
Directed by Gene Saks
Starring Walter Matthau, Ingrid Bergman and Goldie Hawn
MPAA: PG
Grade: B-

Review by Bobby Nashville

Cactus Flower is a cute little comedy. Yes folks, back in the day they used to make nice family friendly comedies about love and understanding. No bathroom humor, violence or filthy sex (although I really don't have anything against any of those either). Nope, these were the kind of comedies that often featured Rock Hudson and Doris Day, and in the end everyone was happy (or at least parted friends).

Cactus Flower is right out of the Neil Simon mold so director Gene Saks (The Odd Couple and Barefoot In The Park) was certainly the right choice to direct. Walter Matthau plays a playboy dentist that is thinking about settling down with his ditzy girlfriend (Goldie Hawn). He's kept her from dragging him down the aisle all this time by pretending to be married already. But now that he finally wants to marry her, how does he get her to say yes without admitting that he lied?

Ingrid Bergman plays Matthau's uptight old maid of a secretary and frankly I am not sure if that's the first person I would have cast in that role. Bergman has played much smarter characters and she is way too beautiful to work in this sheltered of a character. But she does what she can and her acting here is quite good.

There is not much to analyze in a wacky love comedy like this, however I will point out the following things: the music is crazy, its like some kind of psychedelic muzak; Hawn won an Academy Award for her performance here (that says a lot more about the stupidity of the Academy than about Hawn's acting); and lastly, Walter Matthau at one time was almost studly, in a Humphrey Bogart kind of way.

Cactus Flower is a refreshing comedy that isn't going to change the world but it might just bring a smile to your face.

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